“The Innocent Man” (John 18:28–38)

Perhaps you've experienced the injustice of being falsely accused, but no one has ever been as innocent of a crime as Jesus Christ. How do we know that He was innocent, and what does it mean for us?

-Notes: https://pastormarksbury.blogspot.com/2025/04/sermon-innocent-man-john-182838.html
-Livestream: https://lwbcfruita.org/live
-Donations: https://www.lwbcfruita.org/give

MANUSCRIPT:
Series: “John: Life in Christ’s Name” #98
Text: John 18:28–39
By: Shaun Marksbury
Date: April 6, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church
Occasion: AM Service

I. Introduction
Remember how the account of Joseph in Genesis 39 illustrates innocence. Joseph was a faithful servant in Potiphar’s house, but he faced a false accusation from Potiphar’s wife. She twisted the truth, claiming Joseph attempted to assault her, when he had actually fled her advances. He left his cloak behind as evidence she misused against him.

Similarly, Jesus, the sinless Son of God, was unjustly charged with blasphemy and sedition. The religious leaders brought fabricated charges against Jesus, accusing Him of crimes He never committed. This is despite His life of perfect obedience to God.

In both cases, earthly authorities failed to uphold justice. Yet, Joseph’s path through the dungeon led to his exaltation as a ruler in Egypt, where he saved many lives during a great famine. In an even greater way, Jesus’s journey through the cross led to His resurrection and ascension, securing salvation for countless believers, and revealing His ultimate glory as King of Kings.

Keep this is profound irony in mind as we study this passage. This begins a section of Scripture that goes all the way to John 19:16, where we read of Jesus’s trials before Pilate. We’ll see the Jewish leadership demand crucifixion for their God-sent Messiah. Jesus is entirely innocent, but He is also entirely in control — knowing that His sacrificial death will mean the salvation of all who believe.

Jesus Christ is the most innocent man to have ever lived, and we’ll see that fact is essential for His sacrifice. This morning, we’ll note three evidences of our Lord’s innocence. First, we’ll note the Jewish leaders unintentionally confirm it (vv. 28–32). Second, we’ll note the Lord proves it (vv. 33–37). Third, we’ll note Pilate affirms it (vv. 38). Let’s consider the first of these:

II. First, the Jewish Leaders Unintentionally Confirm His Innocence (vv. 28–32).
Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. Therefore Pilate went out to them and *said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.” So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death,” to fulfill the word of Jesus which He spoke, signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.

Let’s begin with something that you might find confusing if you were only reading this Gospel account. In v. 24, we read that Annas sent Jesus “bound to Caiaphas the high priest.” Yet, in v. 28, we read that Jesus is coming from Caiphas. Because the other Gospel accounts already recorded the two night trials,[1] John doesn’t rehash that here. Instead, he jumps straight from the Jewish condemnation of Jesus under Annas to the Roman condemnation.

Yet, John obviously doesn’t skip over the entire betrayal of Jesus to Gentile hands (cf. Matt 27:2; Mark 15:1; Luke 23:1). He simply excludes the later trial with Herod (cf. Luke 23:5–12) to focus on Jesus before the Roman governor. Yet, he’ll do so while adding a lot of detail.

So, in v. 28, we read of the Jewish leaders lead Jesus to the “Praetorium.” Perhaps you grew up hearing this referred to as the “hall of judgment” (KJV), but the word here is from the Greek and Latin terms. This is also translated as Pilate’s “governor’s headquarters” (ESV), a location somewhere in Jerusalem.[2] This would have been a place for Pilate to stay during the feast days so that he could monitor for signs of insurrection or unrest, while his usual lodging was in Caesarea.

The Jewish leadership brought Jesus “early,” perhaps around 6 am. Not mentioned here would have been Judas’s remorse, his attempt to return the money, and his demise by his own hand. Meanwhile, the Jewish leadership had condemned Jesus in an illegal, secret night trial, and they now deliver Him to Pilate, before the rest of Jerusalem has started its day. Still, there would be a growing crowd as sun rises, showing the reality of this Good Friday morning.

We’ve already noted that Pilate was the Roman governor, administrating from ad 26–36, but who was he? He was not a careful administrator, carrying out justice with fairness. Rather, he was a proud and compromised man who covered his ineptitude in his position with violence and oppression. For instance, as one commentary notes,

Reversing the policy of his predecessors, Pilate had sent troops into Jerusalem carrying standards bearing images that the Jews viewed as idolatrous. When many of them vehemently protested against what they saw as a sacrilege, Pilate ordered them to stop bothering him on pain of death. But they called his bluff, and dared him to carry out his threat. Unwilling to massacre so many people, Pilate gave in and removed the offending standards. The story highlights his poor judgment, stubborn arrogance, and vacillating weakness. Pilate further angered the Jews when he took money from the temple treasury to build an aqueduct to bring water to Jerusalem. His soldiers beat and slaughtered many Jews in the riots that followed.[3]

It was his later mistreatment of the Samaritans, slaughtering the pilgrims on Mt. Gerizim whom he viewed with suspicion, that caused the governor of Syria to recall him to Rome in ad 36.[4]

So, it’s odd that the Jewish leadership would sully themselves by involving such a man now. Yet, notice their odd behavior of not entering the Praetorium to avoid defilement. The Jews had laws about ritual purity in dealing with dead bodies (cf. Num 19:11–13), and their present concern was related to abortion; they believed the Gentiles regularly aborted children in their homes, disposing of their bodies there.[5] Of course, it’s astonishing that these men are suddenly so concerned with ritual purity for Passover as they orchestrate Jesus’s murder on Passover. This is the way of the legalist, though — keeping external laws while ignoring the need for internal purity.

We’ve spent a while on that first verse to set the stage, let’s consider v. 29. Because they wouldn’t enter, “Pilate went out to them.” He then formally opened the Roman trial when he asked, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?” He probably was aware that his guard was activated the previous night and that they were bringing a potentially dangerous revolutionary before him.

However, they responded with a less than satisfactory answer. It’s never a good sign when you ask for information and someone treats you contemptuously for asking, and that was their response. It’s almost with a sneer, a “pious pose of infallibility,”[6] that they indicate Jesus is obviously “an evildoer” for them to be bringing Him before Pilate.

Pilate returns tit for tat. He responds, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.” He sees their insolence, their inability or unwillingness to specify charges, and treats them as wasters his time.

It’s here that we see something unintentional in the Jewish response. Perhaps their hatred of Pilate and Rome clouded their judgment for the moment, but they tipped their hand that they held Jesus on trumped up charges. Pilate is beginning to see that Jesus is little more than a religious enemy they want to eliminate.

So, the Jews realize they must be more specific. They admit in v. 31 that their goal is to execute Jesus, but they can’t do so legally without Pilate. Of course, mobs sometimes stoned perceived blasphemers, as with Stephen in Acts 7; in John 10:31, they almost stoned Jesus! But the Sanhedrin doesn’t quietly take care of Jesus, perhaps perceiving Him to be too public a figure with too great an influence. Afraid of losing their position, they were saving face in the eyes of Rome while also publicly ending the challenge to their authority.

Whatever their reason, though, God had a greater reason. His Son would die through crucifixion, a much more horrendous death than stoning (which may have involved large stones, rendering the convicted unconscious and providing a swifter death by comparison). In John 12:32–33, Jesus prophesied, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself,” indicating death by crucifixion rather than stoning. Their actions unintentionally confirm divine purpose.

So, by God allows the Jews to eventually persuade Pilate. Of course, they lie; according to Luke 23:2, they accuse Jesus of misleading the nation, forbidding taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be a king. These were charges of sedition. Yet, Pilate can and will see that there is a lot of smoke but not much fire to these additional accusations. Still, Pilate does his due diligence and questions Jesus inside the Praetorium, where the scene shifts next.

III. Second, the Lord Proves His Innocence (vv. 33–37).
Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Once Pilate summons Jesus, he asks Jesus a straightforward question: “Are You the King of the Jews?” The Greek reveals an emphatic pronoun here, “Are You, You, the King of the Jews?” This suggests that Pilate finds the situation incredulous; this bound and humble man without an army is a threat to the security of the region? Jesus’ appearance belies such a claim.

We might expect Jesus to reply with a simple yes or no, but He instead asks, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?” Of course, He’s not being evasive, but He is probing Pilate’s heart, making it a question of personal conviction. He is causing Pilate to question what the word “king” might even mean — is it merely political, or can it be something else? Jesus needs to clarify before answering, showing His ultimate concern is for truth, further evidencing His innocence.

So, in the next verse, Pilate gives a sharp reply: “I am not a Jew, am I?” As one commentary notes, “Proud and fine scorn on Pilate’s part at the idea that he had a personal interest in the question.”[7] He’s uninterested in Jewish religious disputes; Pilate just wants to know the answer to the pragmatic question: “what have You done?”

In the next verse, some might be confused. Jesus does not deny being a king, and Christians should have no problem saying Jesus is King or Christ is King. Yet, Jesus is careful to note that His is a unique kingdom. If Jesus were a political king, His followers would resist — like Peter’s sword in Gethsemane (John 18:10). But His kingdom’s origin is not earthly but divine. Of course, one day, Jesus will return to set up a physical kingdom on earth, but that is not Jesus’s purpose right now.

So, Pilate realizing Jesus’s admission presses: “So You are a king?” Jesus replies, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” He is a king, but not as Pilate imagines; His mission is to “testify to the truth” — God’s redemptive reality (John 14:6). Those “of the truth” hear Him, meaning He rules and reigns in men’s hearts.

In passing, it’s worth noting that this teaches us a little about the church and authority. As John Frame writes, “Jesus gave certain powers to the church. He did not give the church the right to use physical force to accomplish its tasks. As theologians say, he did not give the church the power of the sword (John 18:36; 2 Cor. 10:4). Only the civil government has that power. But he did give to the church the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Eph. 6:17).”[8] This is why we understand that the church and state have different spheres of authority, with the church not having the power for capital punishment, and the state not having the power to regulate the church, and with God being supreme over all.

Jesus proved His innocence by defining His kingship as truth-bearing, not rebellion. He’s no threat to Caesar; His rule is spiritual, reigning in hearts now and one day physically at His return (Revelation 19:16). Here’s the proof of His innocence. So, Pilate is ready to publicly declare what he’s concluded.

IV. Third, Pilate Affirms His Innocence (vv. 38).
Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?”
And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him.”

Pilate gives Jesus the quintessential question for the skeptic, “What is truth?” While movies and shows depict various inflections upon Pilate at this point, we don’t know if he is being sarcastic, dismissive, or introspective at this point[9] — we can’t read his tone or his heart. All we know is that he leaves from Jesus at this point; face-to-face with the Truth (John 14:6), he walks away. Of course, the reality is that the question is more important for the reader.

Both the Greek New Testament and the NASB break the text here into a new paragraph. Pilate returns outside to the awaiting Jews and declares, “I find no guilt in Him.” His emphatic “I” in the original language underscores his judgment: Jesus is innocent of any Roman crime. In fact, he will repeats this twice more (John 19:4, 6). Pilate sees no sedition, no threat—just a man the Jews want dead for their own reasons.

Ironically, the pagan governor defends Jesus while His own people reject Him (John 1:11). This may seem to be an odd place to stop in the text, but we’ll see a shift after this. John 18:39 skips over Jesus’s trial before Herod and begins the second trial before Pilate. Again, John will give us more detail, but we’ll see that next time. The sad irony here is that, while Pilate affirms Jesus’ innocence, yet injustice prevails.

V. Conclusion
What is truth? The only person ever truly innocent was Jesus Christ — the way, the truth, and the life. He not only was innocent of any crime before Pilate, He was innocent of any infraction, transgression, or sin, ever. He was entirely innocent not just before a reasonable examination by man, but also before a holy and righteous standard before God the Father.

This innocence is essential to our salvation, because none of us are completely and entirely innocent. It’s true that we often are falsely accused by unreasonable, sinful people, and may be innocent of particular accusations. Yet, we have always sinned our whole lives, and we fall short of God’s glory.
Jesus had to be perfect to go to the cross for us. He had to be the spotless Lamb of God, just as any other sacrifice needed to lack any blemish. Any mark on our Lord’s soul would disqualify Him from being a sacrifice for us.

Jesus also had to be perfect to live the life we could not. His obedience, from birth to the cross, was lived in our stead. He lived the perfect life in our place.

So, for those of us who trust in Him, know that He was innocent. He was the perfectly acceptable sacrifice for your sins, and He lived the life which would make you acceptable to God. Believe in Jesus Christ and know that, even though you have sinned, in Christ, you can be declared innocent, as well.

-----------------------------
[1] “John gives no details of the trial before the Sanhedrin (only the fact, John 18:24, 28) when Caiaphas presided, either the informal meeting at night (Mark 14:53, 55–65=Matt. 26:57, 59–68=Luke 22:54, 63–65) or the formal ratification meeting after dawn (Mark 15:1=Matt. 27:1=Luke 22:66–71), but he gives much new material of the trial before Pilate (18:28–38)” (A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, [Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933], Jn 18:28).

[2] “The location of the palace of the Roman governor is disputed. It could have been at the Antonia Fortress on the north side of the temple area or at one of Herod’s two palaces on the west of the city” (emphasis in original. Edwin A. Blum, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, 1985, 2, 336–337).

[3] John F. MacArthur Jr., John 12–21, MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2008), 327.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Noted in Gerald L. Borchert, John 12–21, The New American Commentary, (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002), 25B:238. Also noted in MacArthur, John 12–21, 326, citing Leon Morris, The Gospel According to John, The New International Commentary on the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979], 763, n. 59.

[6] Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Jn 18:30.

[7] Ibid., Jn 18:35.

[8] John M. Frame, Salvation Belongs to the Lord: An Introduction to Systematic Theology, (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2006), 242.

[9] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible, (Biblical Studies Press, 2005).